Hygienic apparatus



25, 1967 R. w. BLACKWELL HYGIENIC APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.29. 1964 zaxazhzamam/az United States Patent 3,359,572 I-IYGIENICAPPARATUS Roscoe W. Blackwell, 4526 E. Florence Ave, Bell, Calif. 90201Filed Oct. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 407,487 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-1) This inventionrelates to devices for use in personal hygiene, and more particularly toa cleansing mechanism for use in the shower or at any other convenientlocation.

Although the device of the present invention may have other applicationsand should not therefore be limited to those specifically referred toherein, the invention has been found to be especially useful as an aidto a person in a shower bath in washing his own feet.

It is both physically difiicult and dangerous for a pregnant woman, foran old or infirm person, and for a person who is overweight to washtheir feet while standing in a shower bath.

In accordance with the device of the present invention, theabove-described and other problems are solved by providing a small tubwhich can rest on the floor in a shower. Treadle operable brushes arelocated in the tub. The device may be easily operated by the foot on thetreadle, and the self same foot scrubbed by motion of the brushescreated by the movement of the treadle. It is then unnecessary for aperson taking a shower to risk standing in a precarious position upononly one foot While washing the other one. J

The above described and other advantages of the present invention willbe better understood from the following description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of theembodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 through thecenter of the device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of theapparatus shown at the end of the device in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of a drive mechanism for the device ofthe present invention.

In the drawing in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention isindicated at 10. Device includes a tub 11. Tub 11 has sidewalls 12 and13, end walls 14 and 15, and a bottom panel 16.

Arcuate slots 17 and 18 are provided in end wall 15. Similar slots 19and 20 are provided in end wall 14.

Rotary brushes are provided at 21 and 22. Brush 21 has bristles 23 fixedto a shaft 24. Brush 22 has bristles 25 fixed to a shaft 26.

Shaft 24 projects through slots 19 and 17 in end walls 14 andrespectively. Similarly, shaft 26 projects through slots and 18 in endwalls 14 and 15 respectively.

A treadle is provided at 27. Treadle 27 has pins at 28, 29, 30 and 31projecting forwardly and rearwardly thereof. Treadle 27 is suspendedfrom shafts 24 and 26 at pins 28, 29, 30 and 31. For this purpose, fourlinkages, 32, 33, 34 and 35 are provided. Shaft 24 is rotatable withinlinkages 33 and 35. Similarly, shaft 26 is rotatable in linkages 32 and34. Linkages 32 and 34 are also rotatable about pins 28 and 30,respectively. Linkages 33 and 35 are rotatable about pins 29 and 31,respectively. Linkages 32 and 34 are keyed in a manner not shown so thataxial movement of shaft 26 and treadle 27 relative to linkages 32 and 34is not permitted. Neither is axial 3,359,5 72 PatentedDec. 26, 1967movement of shaft 24 and treadle 27 relative to linkages 33 and 35permitted. For this purpose, a similar keyed connection, not shown, isprovided between linkage 33, shaft 24 and pin 29, and linkage 35, shaft24 and pin 31.

Gears 36 and 37 are keyed to opposite ends of shaft 24. Similar gearsare keyed to the ends of shaft 26. Only one of these gears, keyed to theforward end of shaft 26, is shown in the drawings. However, all of thesegears are identical. Gear 38, fixed to the rearward end of shaft 26, isshown in FIG. 4 As will be explained, the gears at the ends of shafts 24and 26, e.g. gears 36, 37 and 38, act as pinions, as will be described.

Note will be taken that gear 36 is located in a space 39 enclosed by anend cover 40. Gear 37 is located in a space 41 enclosed by an end cover42.

As shown in FIG. 4, gears 37 and 38 have teeth 43 and 44,'respectively.Teeth 43 mesh with teeth 45 in a rack 46. Teeth 44 mesh with teeth 47 ina rack 48. Racks 46 and 48 are provided on opposite edges of a plate 49fixed to or integral with end wall 15. Due to the fact that thestructures in space 39 are identical to those in the space 41, onlythose structures in the space 41 will be described. Note will be takenfrom FIG. 4 that gear teeth 43 are held in mesh with rack teeth 45 by aflange 50 integral with gears 37. Flange 50 engages a plate 51 which mayalso be integral with or fixedto end wall 15. Gear 38 has a flange 52which engages a guide 53, which is identical to guide 51.

Toe brushes at 54, 55, 56 and 57 are fixed to end wall 14. A heel brush58 is fixed to end wall 15. Note will be taken that treadle 27 has arectangular cutout at 59 of a depth equal to the length of the toebrushes 54, 55, 56 and 57.

As shown in FIG. 2, treadle 27 has a body portion 60 with a foam rubberpad 61 fixed to the upper surface thereof. Body portion 60 also hasslotted members at its opposite ends 62 and 63 which guide two U-shapedwires 64 and 65 having bight portions 66 and 67 located in members 62and 63. Wire 64 is rotatable about a shaft 68. Wire 65 is rotatableabout a shaft 69. Wire 64 is biased in the direction of an arrow 70 byconventional springs 71. Similarly, wire 65 is biased in the directionof an arrow 72 by other springs 73 identical to springs 71. Shaft 68 iscarried by cars 74. Shaft 69 is carried by ears 75.

Prior to use, the treadle 27 and brushes 21 and 22 will take theposition shown in solid lines in FIG. 3. When a foot is placed upontreadle 27 as shown at 76 in FIGS. 1 and 2, and treadle 27 is depressedto the position shown in dotted lines shown at 27' in FIG. 3, brushes 21and 22 will rotate inwardly and downwardly, and move to the positionshown at 21 and 22, respectively, in FIG. 3.

Special precautions may be taken to make the engagement of flanges 50and 52 with guides 51 and 53 as friction-free as possible. However, thecondition of the surfaces of these parts will not be a problem ifsprings 71 and 73 are strong enough.

When used in the shower, the tub 11 can be allowed to fill with water.Soap may be added to this water if desired. A slow drain may be providedfor tub 11 by holes 77 and 78 in end wall 15 as shown in FIG. 4 andholes 79 and 80' in end wall 14 shown in FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, power means 81 are illustrated for moving treadle 27up and down. Power means 81 is not shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 forclarity. Power means 81 is located immediately to the left of end cover40 as viewed in FIG. 1. Power means 81 has a worm gear 82 fixed to anoutput shaft 83 that extends centrally through end cover 40 and end wall14 between toe brushes 55 and 56. Integral with shaft 83 is a crank 84having a crankpin 85 that extends into a slot 86 in treadle 27.

Worm gear 82 is driven through a fiexible cable 87, a worm 88 fixedthereto, a worm gear 89 in mesh therewith, and a worm 90 fixed relativeto worm gear 89 and in mesh with worm gear 82.

Worm gear 88 may be rotated about its longitudinal axis by anyconvenient means available. For example, motors of the pneumatic,hydraulic or electrical types may be employed. Further, a solenoidwinding may be energized to elfect movement of the worm gear 88.

The device may be employed in many places including but not limited toprivate homes. It may be employed in steam baths, gymnasium baths, andat schools and swimming pools.

In accordance with the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the use ofthe device 10' of the present invention may be made, and a foot 76scrubbed by motion of the brushes 21 and 22 created by stepping ontreadle 27. It is then unnecessary for a person taking a shower to standin a precarious position upon only one foot while washing the other one.

Although only one specific embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed and illustrated herein, many changes and modifications will ofcourse suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. This singleembodiment has been selected for this disclosure for the purpose ofillustration only. The present invention should therefore not be limitedto the embodiment so selected, the true scope of the invention beingdefined only in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

Hygienic apparatus comprising: a tub having side walls, end walls andbottom panel, at least one of said walls having a relatively small holetherethrough adjacent said bottom panel; a vertical guide plate in saidtub adjacent each end wall thereof; a pair of symmetrical, downwardlyconverging arcuate slots in each of said plates; a pair of brusheshaving horizontal shafts extending between said plates in positionspassing through corresponding slots, said shafts being held inrotatable, angular, laterally movable, and fixed axial positions; apinion fixed to each end of each of said shafts; a pair of arcuate racksfixed to each of said guide plates in positions to mesh with saidpinions, said rack having the same curvature as said slots; said guideplates having a construction to hold said pinions in mesh with saidracks; a treadle; a pair of identical linkages rotatable about a firstaxis on opposite ends of said treadle on one side thereof andsurrounding one of said shafts, said shafts being rotatable throughcorresponding pairs of said linkages; an inverted U-shaped wire atopposite ends of said treadle; spring means fixed to said tub bottompanel in a position to urge said wires to push upwardly against saidtreadle; a resilient pad fixed to the upper surface of said treadle; acover plate for each of said guide plates; a heel brush fixed to one ofsaid cover plates; and four toe brushes fixed to the other of said coverplates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 722,679 3/ 1903 Dagger 15-361,044,762 11/ 1912 Dupuis 1536 1,583,589 5/1926 Grapentin 15-362,742,037 4/1956 Svoren 12825.2 XR 3,055,357 9/1962 Redka 128-653,078,484 2/1963 Briggs 4-184 3,101,716 8/1963 Cornell 4165 3,109,1771l/1963 Grafmyer 4l58 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,107,895 5/ 1961 Germany.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

HENRY K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

